12 or 20 (second series) questions with Scott Ferry
ScottFerry helps our Veterans heal as a RN in the Seattle area. His twomost recent books are Sapphires on the Graves from Glass Lyre Press and 500Hidden Teeth from Meat For Tea Press. More of his work can be found @ferrypoetry.com.
1 - How did your first book or chapbook changeyour life? How does your most recent work compare to your previous? How does itfeel different?
My first published book was The only thing that makes sense isto grow back in 2019. I was really trying to win a Write Bloody Contest andwrote many of the poems for that purpose. But when Moon Tide Press and EricMorago became interested in my project, I focused on the work itself as awhole, as an entity. It is that book that many of us has to write which is thecore bile and lymph of our story and the answer to: who am I? I felt I neededthis signature piece, this clear portrait.
My recent work does not need to tell as much of a narrative, itdoesn’t need to explain or legitimize itself. I am writing from the ether,catching fleshy cicadas out of the air and spitting them on to the page.
2 - How did you come to poetry first, as opposedto, say, fiction or non-fiction?
Most of my poems have written themselves, honestly. From thebeginning it has flowed easily. I didn’t choose this shit, it chose me. I amjust a monkey mouthpiece for the ghosts.
3 - How long does it take to start any particularwriting project? Does your writing initially come quickly, or is it a slowprocess? Do first drafts appear looking close to their final shape, or doesyour work come out of copious notes?
Oh no, no notes besides maybe an idea or a vignette. I will writemyself a note or an email to remember for later. An example is last night myson turned in his sleep and said “read it.” I wonder what book he wanted readto him? There is a poem there I will have to sit down and write. Once I open upto the subconscious, I just let it go out and direct it a bit and maybe fix aword later. Most of my poems are first and final drafts. I don’t agonize overthem at all. They are better when they are allowed to just spring out andsplat!
4 - Where does a poem usually begin for you? Areyou an author of short pieces that end up combining into a larger project, orare you working on a "book" from the very beginning?
With the last two books I had an idea what I wanted to do from thebeginning. Sapphires on the Graves was going to be a book of prose poemswith very little punctuation and a cyclical and surreal feel. 500 HiddenTeeth began as a project where I was going to write 500 separate poems inone-line sentences. As the book progressed the sentences began to connect andwaver and connect again and many of the sentences ended up as groups that couldbe seen as poems. Yet, my intent is that each sentence is still a poem and thewhole book is one large poem. I like the last description best.
5 - Are public readings part of or counter toyour creative process? Are you the sort of writer who enjoys doing readings?
I mean I love doing readings! I used to get nervous but now Idon’t give two fucks. I know my poetry is solid, I am not going to fake beinghumble. I realized it is an ok thing to give myself, that confidence. I havedone readings for like three people in an audience before and it was great! Ilove feeling the way the sound hits people. I also love hearing good poets readand let the hum of it all wash over me. I love the brotherhood of it. I wish Iwent to more readings, actually. Being a father of two doesn’t allow for lotsof school night outings.
6 - Do you have any theoretical concerns behindyour writing? What kinds of questions are you trying to answer with your work?What do you even think the current questions are?
I am always trying to deconstruct God, god, I, i, We, we. I try tofind the places where the seams are coming apart and unravel them more. I bringthe dead into the living room. I chase ancient trains into melting icecaps. Ilaugh and scream and rip out my throat and make it sing. I care about mankind,about innocence, about intent, about karma in real time. I will always lift themoon out of the well and feed the lampreys my fears. I can dig into my tendonsand find lead. I can chew roots. I watch the crows. I burn most of it in theprocess of washing.
7 – What do you see the current role of thewriter being in larger culture? Do they even have one? What do you think therole of the writer should be?
Shit. Like I said I am here for the harpies and the shadows andthe veins. I only tell what I have heard in trance. My job is to go into thatbroken avalanche of ribs and bring out spells and ash. I strive for magic. Istrive for honesty. In that place it is all one water.
8 - Do you find the process of working with anoutside editor difficult or essential (or both)?
I haven’t really gotten much from editors, honestly. I have had mygood friends (Lillian Necakov and Lauren Scharhag) to read things sometimes andgive me feedback which many times I don’t use. I trust the original poem mostof the time. In terms of producing a book, I am pretty hands-on with my coverart and layout. I feel that I have an eye for that and I don’t compromise much.I haven’t had problems or conflicts with publishers on this, thankfully. I seereally great books of poems with really old-fashioned covers and it just irksme. At least use a cool font. Get some original art!
9 - What is the best piece of advice you've heard(not necessarily given to you directly)?
I heard something the other day which resonated with me. Don’tspend your time hoping people will be the way you want them to be. Deal withthem as they are. Work on yourself to be that version. Focus inside, let go ofexpectation. That is freeing. Not that I have been able to do it .
10 - What kind of writing routine do you tend tokeep, or do you even have one? How does a typical day (for you) begin?
I write at work a lot because I have a desk job that I can usuallyfinish in a few hours. And my work group is pretty quiet. I also can write lateat night, but that is less desirable.
11 - When your writing gets stalled, where do youturn or return for (for lack of a better word) inspiration?
I don’t stress it. I wait. I read poetry that I admire. I listenfor triggers.
12 - What fragrance reminds you of home?
Cedar, eggs cooking, toast, cilantro, onion, coffee, the burntsmell of my gas fireplace, my roses and lilies, rain.
13 - David W. McFadden once said that books comefrom books, but are there any other forms that influence your work, whethernature, music, science or visual art?
I do a lot of photography. Mostly nature stuff, clouds treesreflections abstracts. I get much of my inspiration from images and patternsunder the images and patterns. Music, usually KEXP. Jazz, shoegaze, some punk,REM, Radiohead. Lately a really cool band called Peel Dream Magazine. Anysurrealistic art.
14 - What other writers or writings are importantfor your work, or simply your life outside of your work?
Lillian Necakov, Lauren Scharhag, Diane Seuss, Daniel McGinn,Douglas Cole, Gary Barwin, George Franklin, Connie Post are some of mycontemporary favorites. Poetry that has flow and weirdness and honesty. AnyMagical Realism, Marquez, Borges.
15 - What would you like to do that you haven'tyet done?
Travel around Europe.
16 - If you could pick any other occupation toattempt, what would it be? Or, alternately, what do you think you would haveended up doing had you not been a writer?
Well, I was a high school English teacher for about 5 years. Bignope. I have heard that AI is ruining college teaching as well so teaching isout. I mean I would love to teach poetry. I am a licensed acupuncturist but itnever paid the bills. I have a low-key nursing job which I love.
17 - What made you write, as opposed to doingsomething else?
Well it came naturally starting my junior year in high school. Icertainly never made any money doing it. It is the way I get to shout into thewind.
18 - What was the last great book you read? Whatwas the last great film?
I really liked Lauren Scharhag’s Screaming Intensifies abook of well-crafted horror stories. I read Diane Seuss’s last two books.Lillian and Gary’s book duck eats yeast, quacks, explodes; man loses eye waspretty mindblowing. Douglas Cole’s The Cabin at the End of the World,fantastic. George Franklin’s What the Angel Saw, What the Saint Refusedis important.
As for a film, I watched Killing Eve in its entirety and itwas the best series for me since Breaking Bad.
19 - What are you currently working on?
I am currently involved in two collaborations, one with Lindsey Royce using the art of Sarah Petruziello as ekphrastic prompts and one still very much in process with Aakriti Kuntal. Both are really stretching my abilityto interface and bounce off other artists, which is wonderful.
I don’t have an individual project yet, but it will show up like amole in my cat’s claws.
